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yeeterthek33per · 10 months

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You'll Bounce Back (Caitlin Foord x Steph Catley x Reader)

*In the spirit of the world cup and because I felt like it, this immediately came to mind*

Slight adulty warning*

Despite your best efforts, watching your team crumple against Nigeria wasn't the easiest thing to do. Considering you were currently on the sidelines watching on as Caitlin so desperately tried to push for every last chance to score, you knew she wouldn't take it well. She played her best out there, and all you could do in the moment the final whistle blew, when the celebrations of the Nigerians started, was resist the urge to hang your head in disappointment.

You knew the moment you went down during the Ireland v Australia game, that this was it for your journey through the group stages, the trainers having informed you that you would need a minimum of 2 weeks or more to recover.

So, sitting on that bench beside your best friend, who no doubt was taking it just as hard (being one of the many faces of this tournament), and despite not being on the field, you stood tall and walked (hobbled) out onto the pitch, to pick up each and every one of those girls.

Steph, you knew, like Caitlin, would take it hard, but she tends to bottle the loss more, and being impromptu captain only pushed it further into the bottleneck.

So when you spotted her standing, hands on hips, head tilted downwards, you knew she needed to let it out. Both of your girls looked defeated, and you felt helpless, knowing that if you hadn't gone for that tackle, you might've been on that pitch tonight. You should've been able to make a difference.

You should've been out there.

The thought has been burned into the back of your brain since the start of warm-ups. And yet, you push it back and begin to walk to Katrina, who was making her rounds. The older woman having become something of a mentor to you and the younger girls. She hugs you, only for a second as you pat her on the back, "You did great Min', I'm so proud of you."

Mini nods at you, despite not quite being able to meet your gaze, feeling she herself had failed you. You place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "C'mon, we've still got a chance at this. You've got this. Play it for Harps." You give her a goofy smile to pair with your words, and you see her give a little, her own lips tugging upwards. "Thanks, Rocket."

You chuckle and proceed to go around the pitch as everyone slowly returns to the change rooms, though keeping an eye on your defender and striker, watching as they interact with some family and a couple of the fans.

Steph and Caitlin eventually make their way into the corridor and down the stairs, finding you waiting for them, leant against the wall, your crutches beside you.

They both hug you, although it's brief and there's no words exchanged and you know they won't be talking for at least a couple hours, they know they did what they could, played their best game, or at least best as they could given the current team status.

It just wouldn't settle that way in their own minds.

Caitlin leans into you for a moment, pausing to allow just a moment of your warmth to envelope her and pulls away to go shower. Steph keeps hers briefer, leaving a peck to your temple as she pulls away to do the same, and you sigh softly.

You follow, and Sam's already began her post game speech, knowing all of the girls would need that leadership and guidance to begin to help them pick themselves back up.

"C'mon girls, you've done so much today. You all pushed yourselves so hard, and you all made me proud tonight, we've got one more go, Canada doesn't know what's gonna hit them, we're gonna come back, hard and strong, like we always do. You've all played your hearts out, and I'm so grateful to call you guys my mates and my family."

Sam claps her hands and gestures to the door, "Now let's get showered and get out of here, get recovered and rested, and get ready to push harder than we've ever pushed, because I will need every single one of you here, we all will."

"Yeah, Sammy!" A couple cheers come from within the group of Australians, one from Mackenzie in the back, another from yourself standing next to the door to the changeroom.

Your teammates and yourself load up onto the bus and begin the journey back to the motel. Caitlin and Steph have sat themselves in a seat towards the back, Caitlin leaning into the defender, head on her shoulder, as she contemplates her night, a frown deepset on her face.

You find yourself watching over them as you joke with some of the younger girls, despite the dead silence that would normally come with a loss, they're up and energetic, even after a long 90 minutes. Even going so far as to let out a "C'mon hops, get off the bus, everyone wants to be in bed soon!" Coming from who you found out to be Charlotte, and vowed to give her the biggest noogie of her life when you got off the crutches.

You crutch slowly up into the elevator and make your way into your room, which you shared with Katrina, the woman already having put Harper to bed now that she was staying in the team hotel.

You let out an exhausted sigh and plop onto the matress with a small thud, rubbing at your face. You hear footsteps pad over to your side of the room and sit next to you on the bed, a warm hand rubbing gently at your back.

"Thanks Min'."

Mini hums in response,

"You wanna know something Rocky'?"

You peak out up at her and give a small nod, rubbing harshly at the threatening to spill tears.

"I'm so glad you came out there today, I really needed that, I think all of the girls did. You've given them something to think about, and no doubt Sammy has as well."

You nod softly, tilting your head back to fight off crying. She pulls you into her immediately, her holding you tight as she rubs your back.

"There's nothing you could've done, darl', all you should've been doing is resting, and you're doing that."

You shake your head slightly, "I should've been out there out there with them, Mins', I should've never made that damn slide. At least then I would be out there."

"Hey Rocky', shit happens, you do what you gotta do, you throw yourself into the game, you give it your all, sometimes that means we get knocked around a little, that doesn't mean you failed us. It means you gave it your all and helped us secure a win."

Honestly, she was right, but getting that niggling feeling in the back of your head to go away was a momumental task in itself, so despite your best efforts, you only nod and pull away.

Katrina gives you a look, like she knows you don't quite believe her, but she let's it go for now. She instead nudges you and urges you to go see Caitlin and Steph, citing that they probably need to see their girl after a night like that. You perk up a little, your lips tugging up at the sides as you stand and hop over to your crutches to exit your shared and go and find Caitlin and Steph in their room.

Rapping on the door quietly, knowing the others have probably knocked out by now, you wait until you hear quiet pads on the other side.

It's Steph who opens the door, being the late sleeper of the two.

"Hey puddin'." It comes out as a soft sigh, if anything, exhaustion clear on her face, but knowing her, she was probably struggling for sleep anyways.

You shuffle into the room and pull her down into you, arms wrapped tight around her neck as she buries her face into yours.

"Hi gorgeous. I'm so proud of you for tonight. You both played so well." Steph squeezes you a little tighter at that, and you shift your arms so your hands settle on her shoulder blades to rub at her back gently as you look up at her.

You can tell she's trying to meet your eye, but it's not quite working. You knew she'd struggle to be able to let today go.

"Look at me." Your hand on her jawline tilts her head towards you, "You did everything you could, baby. You fought so hard today. You gave everything you could."

"And it still wasn't enough." Steph's head is turned to the side as she fights her own tears. "There were so many challenges that I missed that I would've gotten any other day of the week. I missed so many tack-."

You interrupt her, "Hey now, you know damn well that you couldn’t have stopped that, sometimes you don't meet tackles where you need to and that's not on you, sometimes, stuff happens, and you aren't quick enough to meet it there."

There's a soft grumble behind the two of you, the striker stirring slightly as you both turn to watch her. Steph's expression softens slightly.

"I mean, even Cait missed some stuff, doesn't mean she could do anything else about it."

She lets out a light huff, sniffles lightly as she turns back to look at you finally. Your thumb caresses her cheek and you give her soft cheeky smile. She looks down but her cheeks crease as she grins all the same, knowing she couldn’t deny you a smile if she tried. The look in her eyes has you swooning, and she leans down to take your lips with hers.

You hum softly, hand coming up to grip her neck and keep her pressed against you. Her hands find their way to your hips, gripping them and pulling you as close as possible.

You gasp into the brunette when she reaches to pull you up into her arms by the thighs, your legs wrapping around her waist, careful not to jostle your ankle too much. Steph's hand comes to settle under your shirt, her hips pressing up into yours, holding you in place.

The way she kisses away from your lips and down to your collarbone has you whining, although her hand is quick to silence you, not wanting to wake your other girlfriend who most definitely needs to sleep. She nips at the skin, grinning as you shudder softly. Her lips are hot on your collarbone, your skin radiating its own heat, and your insides buzz when she reaches to push your shirt over your head.

A whimper coming from Caitlin as she stirs makes you both pause, and you have to hold in a laugh when Steph groans and her head drops to your shoulder. You run your hands through her hair, which is let down for the night, and rub at her shoulder before she gently sets you down. You kiss her softly, getting ready to slip back out of the room.

"I'll let you sleep, sweetheart."

Steph is quick to protest, though, grabbing your hand to pull you back towards the bed. You giggle as clings to you the moment you're both settled.

Another body lands on the bed behind you and startles you slightly. Caitlin, now having fully woken to the noise, wraps herself around you sulkily. "Hey puddin'."

It comes out as more of a grunt than anything, the words pressed into the back of your neck as she leaves soft kisses on the skin there. "Hi bubs, sorry we woke you, go back to sleep." Your hand grips hers softly. She grumbles slightly, "You should've woken me sooner."

You chuckle and shift in their arms to face the striker, kissing her as soon as she's in reach. She sighs softly into your mouth, fingers tangling with Steph's as their hands rest against your side. Caitlin pulls away, and she curls her leg over yours to rest on stephs ankle, gently rubbing it.

You loved seeing them so affectionate with each other. They were best friends before they approached you when you got together, but they'd never been touchy. So seeing them that way now meant more than anything, knowing they were just as in love with each other as they were with you. It only made you smile more.

"God, I love you both so much."

"We love you too, pretty girl." Steph mumbles the words into your hair. Caitlin hums her agreement as she kisses you again.

"Now you both better sleep. We've got recovery time to make tomorrow."

They both whine at you, finally having you in their arms, and you want them to sleep. You laugh, "C'mon, now you two, you have a game to prep for, and sleep deprivation does not make that better, you guys will do better, you'll bounce back, you always do."

You were right. They always found a way to bounce back. All they had to do was play their best game.

Canada wouldn't know what hit them.

#caitlin foord x reader #steph catley x reader #woso x reader #woso imagine #woso imagines #caitlin foord imagine #caitlin foord imagines #steph catley imagine #steph catley imagines #because im gay and the world cup has made me gay panic more times than i care to admit

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